The present invention relates to an easy-mount shelf holder for a sectional rack. Such shelf holders can be easily and quickly fixed onto and around upright posts of the rack for supporting shelves thereon to conveniently complete erection of the sectional rack.
Sectional racks in early stages included posts and shelves assembled together by means of screws or bolts. Later, posts for such sectional racks are improved so that no screws or bolts or other fastening means are needed to assemble the posts and the shelves. FIG. 1 illustrates an improved sectional rack in which each post 10 is provided around its circumferential surface with axially spaced annular grooves 13. Individual sleeves 11 each consisting of two mated halves and having inner flanges 14 projected inward from suitable positions can be separately fixedly mounted around the posts 10 by engaging their respective inner flanges 14 into selected annular grooves 13 on the posts 10. The sleeve 11 formed from the two mated halves has a tapered outer surface. That is, the sleeve 11 each has outer diameter that gradually increases from top to bottom. Individual screen-type or other types of shelves 12 for holding articles thereon each has four gripping rings 15 (only one gripping ring is shown in FIG. 1) separately provided at four corners of the shelf. The gripping ring 15 defines a tapered inner space. That is, the gripping ring 15 has an internal diameter that is gradually increasing from top to bottom for fitting over and around the tapered sleeve 11 in a tight fit manner, so that the tapered sleeves 11 are firmly clamped to tighten around the posts 10, so that the shelves 12 are assembled to and supported by the posts 10 via the gripping rings 15.
In the event multiple layers of shelves are to be arranged for the rack, the shelves 12 can only be sequentially assembled to the posts 10 one by one by separately fixing the gripping rings 15 at four corners of each shelf 12 around the tapered sleeves 11 on the posts 10 by putting the gripping rings 15 from tops of the posts 10. To increase or decrease the layers of shelves 12 on the rack, it is a necessary step to remove a top layer of shelf 12 from the posts 10. It is, of course, troublesome and difficult to do so each time there is any shelf 12 to be mounted or removed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,676,263; 5,303,645; 5,174,676; 4,991,725; 4,799,818; 4,595,107; 4,546,887; and 4,763,799 all disclose such conventional rack using upright posts with annular grooves.